Jamie Lynn Spears recently revealed how big sister Britney Spears‘ fame impacted her mental health.
Jamie Lynn starred in the Wednesday premiere of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, in which celebrities undergo training similar to the U.S. Special Forces, and spoke about how she struggled with her self-worth.
The actress admitted that she feels like whatever she works hard for is invalid. “Growing up, my sister became famous — worldwide famous — when I was very young,” Jamie Lynn began.
While she said she is “so proud” of Britney and that she “love[s] her to death,” Jamie Lynn confessed she sometimes feels like she’s “never been able to have anything for myself.” During the episode, the actress was instructed to leave the past behind.
“I can be extremely proud of my sister but also have my own identity and be expected to be seen as my own person,” she said. “I struggle with self-esteem all the time and, as a parent, you really want to fake it because you don’t want to ever see your children feel the same feelings you feel.”
Jamie Lynn also suffered a breakdown during the episode when she was tasked with doing a backward dive into the ocean from a helicopter. The activity triggered a traumatic flashback to her daughter Maddie‘s near-fatal accident.
When Maddie was 8, her ATV was submerged in a pond and she almost drowned. Jamie Lynn said she was brought back to the exact moment when she dove into the water and was unable to pull her daughter to safety.
Maddie, who is now 13, survived and is doing well.
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu.
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